The invention relates to an apparatus for the insertion and withdrawal of a plug-in module with a front panel into or out of a module carrier, to a plug-in module with such an apparatus and to a module carrier with such a plug-in module as well as to a method for the insertion and withdrawal of a plug-in module with front panel.
Plug-in modules introducible into module carriers have multiple plug connections at the rear side for which plug-in and removal forces have to be overcome on the insertion or withdrawal of the plug-in module. Plug-in modules are therefore usually provided with one or more apparatuses, for example a respective apparatus in a lower area and an upper area of the front side, in order to facilitate the insertion and the removal. The apparatuses each include a lever arm which is pivotally arranged and resting against a front side section of the module carrier such that the insertion and withdrawal are facilitated through the effect of the lever arm. The apparatuses each further include a locking device to lock and/or to secure the lever arm in an inwardly pivoted state as well as, if necessary, a switching element actuatable by means of a lever arm or locking device in order to switch off the power or switch the plug-in module into a passive mode before withdrawal.
A plug-in module with a front panel is known from document DE 203 11 072 U1 in which a blocking lever is hinged to a lever pulling handle that includes a latching catch, in order to secure the lever pulling handle in the inwardly pivoted position. The latching catch is operationally connected to a switch attached to the circuit board of the plug-in module, so that the plug-in module can be switched into a current-free state on actuation of the blocking lever. A drawback of this plug-in module is the close arrangement of the handle portions of the lever pulling handle and of the blocking lever directly next to one another, which makes it possible to actuate both handle portions practically simultaneously. This leads to a situation in which the time gap between the activation of the switch and the separation of the rear side plug connections through removal of the plug-in module is very short through quick rotation of the lever pulling handle, for example shorter than 100 ms, and in which the plug-in module is pulled out before it is in a passive state. Depending on the usage of the plug-in module, the electrical contacts of the plug-in modules at the rear side, and/or the electrical circuit of the plug-in module or of associated parts of the system, can be damaged. A further disadvantage of the above-described plug-in module exists in that the close arrangement of the handle parts of the lever pulling handle and of the blocking lever directly alongside one another encourages the outward pivoting of the lever pulling handle before the latching catch is completely released. This can lead to premature wear of the latching catch.